Concentrator and flotation separator



May 5, 1925. 1,536,236

w. R. MORRIS CONCENTRATOR AND FLOTATION SEPARATOR Filed F65. 215. 19 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 6mm R liillzbmlZA/arri g 1%M, ea

May 5, 1925. 0 v 1,536,236

w. R. MORRIS CONCENTRATOR AND FLOIATION SEPARATOR Fild FeB. 25, 1922 SSheets-Sheet 2' May 5; 1925.

W. R. MORRIS couczn'rfiuoa AND FLOTATION SEPARATOR Filed Feli. 25. 1922 5 Sheet s Sheet s 5] nvanifo'a il'llz'am zzllorris May 5, 1925. 1,536,236

4 W. R. MORRIS CONCENTRATOR AND FLOTATION SEPAHATOR Fild F615. 23. 1922. 5 Sheec S-Sheet 4 al bi/raw I May 5, 1925.

w. MORRIS CONGENTRATOR AND FLOTATION SEPARATOR Filed Feb. 23. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 atented May 5, 1925.

"UNITED simrss MINERAL Q ELQ ME W CM eNX,

QONCEMPEAIQR AND FIDTATWN a PATENT ,OFFLQE,

, m mes-m. B isse s s-M nies;

' a ncafi iiii eareb a yzs, 1922; Seriel No ses- 23.

To cZZw/wmt may comernr Be it known that 1', WILLIAM ROY MORRIS, a citizen o tthe United States of America, residingat Boise, Idaho; have invented'tnew and useful Improvements in 'Goncentrators a1id=Flotationgeparetorspand "I do declarethe following to-be avfnll, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertainsto-make and useithe same, refer ence being had to the accompanying-drewings andto figures of reference marked thereon, which term a part of this speeilieatio n, u v

This invention relates to the art oi separating, classifying I and concentrati n g finely divided ores or other rnixed and ungraded materials composed oif pertiolesof different Figure 1 is a plan view of oneei nhodiinentof the invention Fig. 2 is aside elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is e vertical longitudinal section throng-h a separating and concentrating tank or container forming a part. of the a-pparat-usillnstrated in Figs. 11 00 3;

i Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on thewbroken section line in Fig. 4:, viewed in the direction indicated by arrow 5, parts of the structure being shown broken outto close pipes in the rear thereof;

6 is 1a transverse verti0el sect-ionof said broken linein Fig. tviewed in the dis dis- ein NP ertition hav ng; be n broken out is suspended by laterally diverging-heh-Q'e s or rods "3 that are attached" n ent ineitherclirect-ion asd esi-red} Big. T is a perspective View of a, gnid'ng and colleotlng plate tanning epiirt "o l apparatus; and" a i 8 is a section off a, fragment l lilllS-Q trating the connection of i a sitspmii we to the separating and concentrating-ta ln the drawings there ls-"ll ltlfi t lfiitefifi pre- A ferred embodiment of a-niapparatns' adapted? to -practice-tl e iinproved process.

Theopen oblong framed oi' ithe sip-para tns is substantially rectangular in plan elevation and sn pports an oblong sepair tingorooncentrating tank or container {2 oh 7 attheir dowel ends to the sides of the tank somewhat "be low its top z t-their endsrto crosshealns on the upper portionof the fra ne'by ineans of universal jointed connections en-ehas swiveled all-j ointse. lhe snsp endin grods 3 on opposite sides of theitank arefshoiwin to diverge laterally, abut L t-hey my be. linade to-- set parallel or to convergeklatenail l v as dB: sired, the pairs at opposite ends ware i'n Ltrans- I verse planes parallelzwithleach otherf Hillel said means of. suspension would: permit oi? Te sidewise vibration @a rocking inovie nent i of thetankeor e parallel oscillatory introve- Positioned above what is :herev desig nate th e rearward ,end ,of the container 2;: is a ma terial receiving hopper 1013 chute throng-h which iineli divided materials to "be sop era-ted are fed into the container oratank fb.

This chutes? i'suett-ached to contained-2 by:- ineansof supportinghnacesiti and 6? and is held rigid therewith so that when the icon; Q tainergis moved theclintennoves withflit as 6 ns}? he kept of such proporti onsgtha i disohargeend oi; the @1113 ten maybe disposed beneath the snrtaceof therliqnid nass exist )0 the; surface; i l

Positioned withinseid container 12 end adjacent the roe/me end thereof isla reertwafld and, downward inclined transverselv; entered collecting plate [7; which his} r d v fi g f-tfl on, copper ora ly other. suite-hie iionwihra lit) or relatively inelastic substance. This late 7 is attached to and supported by the s anting plate 8 (at its rear end) and the vertically arranged spaced plates 9, all of which are fixedly attached to the interior of the container. Plate 7 is so positioned that it tends to direct the heavy material in the container towards a point adjacent the rear end of the said container.

In the rear end of the container 2 and at the bottom thereof is a curved recess or amalgamating chamber 10 having a transversely curved bottom which is intended for collecting the concentrates and amalgamating the metal contents, and which is in communication with a discharge opening 11, as best shown in Fig. of the drawings, through which the concentrates pass into an adjacent auxiliary compartment 12 from which they are pumped or jetted into a storage container (not shown) through the pipes 13, 18 and 14, the open lower ends of said pipes being opposed and spaced from each other in said compartment. The concentrates in the compartment may be discharged by .gravity. through the outlet 32 leading from the lower portion of said compartment to the exterior. Said outlet, 32 may be opened and closed by a plug or any suitable closure.

Positioned transversely across the container 2 and adjacent the bottom thereof is a perforated water inlet pipe 15 which receives its water through pipe 16, which, in turn, is coupled to the pipe 13 and to a water-feedpipe 17 extending up to the receiving chute 5 into which the latter is adapted to discharge water to mingle with the material being fed into said chute. Pipes 13 ,13, 16. and 17 are in communica tion with each other and are provided with suitable valves so that water may be pumped through pipe 13 into pipe 13 or into pipe 16 to be discharged through pipe 15, or into pipe 17 to be discharged into the chute 5, by adjusting the valves inproper relation.

A pump 29 is attached to the rear end of frame 1 at the lower edge thereof and driven by a pulley 28' which, in turn, is driven by the pulley 26 through the belt 27. The'pulley 26 is mounted on the shaft and is operated thereby. The pump 29 receives water from an outside source through pipe 29 and pumps it through the pipe 13 (which has a flexible section) and through the pipe 16 to the perforated pipe 15 in" the lower portion of the container 2 when the valves are properly adjusted to this end. The water is pumped through the water is fed through pipe 17 into the receiving chute 5, there to be admixed with the dry material entering the said chute provided another suitable adjustment of the valves is made.

Positioned at the bottom of the container 2 and underneath the curved plate 7 is a cock 33 for drawing oil any leakage that may accumulate beneath the said plate. The overflow cock 3& positioned near the upper edge of the receiving chute 5, is intended to discharge any excess water that may accumulate in the said chute.

A stepped pulley 18, mounted on the shaft 19, may be utilized to rotate the shaft 19, and the shaft 19 drives the shaft 20 through the intermeshing miter gears 21, 21. Pulley 18 may be belted to any suitable source of power.

Angularly adjustable eccentrics 22 and r 23 are mounted on the shaft 19 for vibrating the container sidewise and an angularly adjustable eccentric 24: is positioned on the shaft 20 and is adapted to vibrate the said container endwise. be set to impart greater amplitude of movement than the eccentric 22. Likewise the eccentric 22 may be set to impart greater amplitude of movement than the eccentric 23, that is, each eccentric may be set to give any desired amplitude of vibration within the limits of its construction.

Shafts 19 and 20 are mounted in hangers or bearings 25 at one side and end of the frame 1.

Miter gear 21 is of a different size and has a different number of teeth than miter gear 21 The gear ratio of the number of teeth on the respective gears should be such that they have no common divisor; gear 21 may have, for example, 19 teeth and gear 21 11 teeth, or any multiple of these numbers.

The adjustable eccentrics 22, 23 and 2 1 on the shaft 19 and 20 are attached to rontainer 2 by means of links and universal couplings such as ball and socket joints A. hand nut or threaded adjusting wheel 36 is disposed between spaced brackets on one side of the receiving chute 5 and engages a threaded rod 36 that is connected with a butterfly valve 37 in the lower or d scharge end of the receiving chute 5 and is adapted to adjust the position of said valve for regulating the feeding of the material.

A lip or overflow guiding flange 38 is formed at the upper end of the container 2 at the forward end thereof and is adapted to direct the outflow of the material of least specific gravity.

Shaft 20 is provided at its free end with a pulley 39 which may be connected with a source of power to operate the apparatus in case it is inconvenient to operate the same through the medium of the stepped pulley 18.

The eccentric 24 may tenses In u liz ng he pparatus, awar r o er material to be separated is introduced into the hute 5 Whe it s dm xedw th water from the pipe 17 and passes down past the Valve 3Zinto the rear end ofthe container or tanlr 2, adjacent the inclinedplate 8 slop ing from the foot or lower end. of the collecting plate 7. It Will be understood that Water will be flowing through the perforated pipe underneath the mass of unite-rial which assists in carrying the lighter materials toward the top of the container. The streams of Water issuing from pipe 15 also prevent the material from matting or calring up thereby clogging the apparatus, Other 'means of introducing the Water atornear mentl The container may be so suspended and vibrated that the amplitude or lateral vibration is increased from the top toward the bottom or from the bottom towards the top, and from the front toward the rear or from the rear tovvards the front of the container WhllG all portions of the container move endvvise equal distances The object is to cause the lighter materials to move toward the top and the heavier materials to move toward the bottom, and to have an equalized extent of movementin proportion to their Weight, and to place each particle in the mass in position according to its specific gravity, and furthermore to cause the lighter particles to move' toward'the front and the heavier parts to movetoivard the rear.

In operating the apparatus to carry out gravity separation, the material is fed into the container below the gangue at substanti ally the point of mean specific gravity of the entire mass and at the poi-nt'wvhere the diii erentparticles seek theposition in the container at Whiclr' the conditions as to separation are best adapted to their individual specific gravity. Thus the apparatus separates the materials by placing each particle in its position With relation to its specific gravity and not with r'elation'to the specific gravity of the particle This is accomplished by the proper upward and rearward movement oi? Water thru the mass of material belng concentrated, and" also because of the fact that the vibration n one direction are broken by an uneven number of vibrations at substantially right angles so that the nodesof vibration occur at dis: a tent intervals, as,:for example with gears 21 and 21 having 11 and 19 teeth respectively,

e nodes occur once. in 11. s devvise vibrar ns nd once in 1. nilvise vib ations- T eccentric-s are so constructed that the nters of th paths of sidevvise-vibrations and .endvvise vibrations canbechanged will, so as to impart any motion requiredithin the mechanical limits imposed) according to the velocity of treatment and nature ofthe mate-rials to be concentrated.

The inclined plate 7 intercepts and; receives the slin'ies of line concentratesthat are moving slowly to the front, which, when making contact With the plate areprecipitated and turned back, traveling "Slowly along the inclined toward the] rear. lhis insures a. high efliciency of separation of the shines. The plate 7 may be coated With qu cksilver and used desired.

My invention may be used with oil in the flotation process of separation by raising the materialreceiving trough so that the :feed will be introduced at the surfaceo f the mass, thus mixing the mateiial w'i th the oil and fine particles floated biyit. The action of the machine is then so modified that the oil and fine metallicvalues imprisoned by it as an amalgamator if are carried to the top and, front while the gangue is carried to the bottom andirear.

l tany minor changes in" detail of 'construction may be resorted to Without departure from the spirit of the invention.

1. A method of separating or. classifying particles offdiffe'rent characteristics from a mass of finely divided material which consists in charging a container With said ma terial mixedwith a quantity of liquid sutfi cient to provide for si'isp'ension of theparticles therein and imparting vibratory movements to said container by forces actrngsubstantially horizontally at right angles to each other, so that one end of said container may have a greater amplitude of movement at one of its ends'than at its other end.

2. A method of" continuously separating or classifying particles of difi-"erent chars stantially above the point where'the sinking particles concentrate, and means for vibrating said container so that'one of its ends may have a greater amplitude of vibration than its other end.

3. method of continuously separating or classifying particles of different charac teristics from a mass of finely dividsd inm terial which consists in feeding into the container a stream of material, supplying sufiicient liquid to provide for suspension of the particles; agitating the container in such manner as to concentrate the particles tend- 'ing to sink in the liquid at one portion of the container and feeding the material into the mass of liquid and material substantially above the point Where the sinking particles concentrate but beneath the surface of the liquid.

4. The method of separating or classifying particles of different characteristics from a mass of finely divided material suspended in liquid within an oblong container, which consists in simultaneously vibrating, substantially horizontally, said container both lengthwise and sidewise thereof, the lengthwise vibrations being imparted in constantly changing time relations with respect to the sidewise vibrations, the sidewise vibrations of one end of the container may be of greater amplitude than the vibrations of the other end; thereby concentrating the particles that tend to sink in the liquid adjacent the end having the greater amplitude of vibration, and feeding additional material and liquid into the mass of material and liquid substantially at the location of the concentrated particles.

5. In' a separating and concentrating apparatus, an oblong container, means for sus taining said container so that it may move universally in approximately horizontal directions, a mechanism connected to said container exerting force in a direction lengthwise of the container to vibrate it, and separate spaced mechanisms exerting forces to vibrate the container laterally so that the time ratio and amplitude of such vibrations may be changed at will.

6. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising a frame, a. container positioned within said frame, a plurality of laterally divergent supporting rods connecting the top of said frame with said container, universal joints at the ends of said rods, a material receiving chute carried by said container, and means positioned on said frame for imparting a lengthwise back and forth movement and a sidewise back and forth movement to said container, so that one end thereof may have a greater amplitude of movement than the other.

7. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising e. frame, an oblong container positioned within said frame, a valved receiving chute positioned so as to discharge at a definite point near the rear end of said container, a collecting plate or collecting plates positioned within said container and inclining downward from the forward end thereof to a concentrating point adjacent the discharge end of said receiving chute, and means for reciprocating said container in longitudinal and transverse directions,

the transverse movement at the opposite ends of said container being of the same or different amplitudes as may be desired.

8. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising a frame, a container movably mounted within said frame, a receiving chute disposed at the rear end of said container, an an algamating chamber for concentrates formed at the bottom rear end of said container and an auxiliary concentrates receiving compartment adjacent said ai'nalgamating chamber, a partition disposed between said compartment and chamber, said partition being provided with a communicating opening, and means for discharging water adjacent: the bottom of said chute.

9. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising a frame, a container movably mounted within said frame,a receiving chute carried by said container, a perforated pipe extending transversely across and at the bottom of said container and at the outlet end of said receiving chute and means for supplying water to said pipe.

10. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising a frame, a container movably mounted therein, a collecting plate within said container inclining downwards from an overflow outlet, a material receiving chute adapted to discharge adjacentthe lower end of the collecting plate, means for forcing water in at or near the bottom of said container beneath the discharge end of the chute, said means also having a branch con nection with the upper portion of said receiving chute and means for removing concentrates from said container.

11. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising a frame, a container movably mounted within said frame, means for shaking said container in longitudinal and trans verse directions, the amplitude of transverse movement of the container being the same or greater at one end than at the other, an amalgamating chamber at the bottom and rear of said container, an auxiliary concentrates receiving compartment adjacent and communicating with said chamber, a partition disposed between said compartment and chamber, and means for discharging the concentrates from the auxiliary chamber.

12. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising a frame, a container movably mounted within said frame, a valved receiving chute at the top and rear end of said container, an amalgamating chamber at the bottom and rear end of said container, an auxiliary compartment adjacent said chamber and in communication therewith, a perforated water inlet pipe or pipes at or near the bottom of said container and means for discharging the contents from said auxiliary compartment.

13. A gravity concentrator or separator comprising a frame, a container suspended. Within said frame, a receiving chute at the top and rear end of said container, a trans versely curved collecting plate positioned at the forward end of said container and in: clining downward toward the rear end thereof, the lower end of said plate being substantially directly below the discharge end of said receiving chute, means for forc ing water into the bottom of said container beneath the discharge end. of the chute, and a discharge outlet at the top and forward end ofsa-id container and collecting plate, 

